Flashback 2015: Barca 'Messi', India Messier, FIFA 'Messiest'

New Delhi: The national team plummeted to depths unseen in years but the mediocrity, which has become a norm with the beleaguered outfit, got lost in the shrill din of the spectacle called Indian Super League even as the great Pele grabbed headlines briefly with his week-long sojourn.

Globally, the beautiful game witnessed the good, bad and ugly in equal measure.

From Barcelona's treble winning season to Cristiano Ronaldo claiming the Ballon d'Or for the second time running, to the long-standing FIFA president Sepp Blatter and UEFA chief Michel Platini getting banned for eight years by the apex body's Ethics Committee, football had a bit of everything for almost everyone.

Towards the fag end of 2015, Jose Mourinho getting the boot after reigning champions Chelsea tested Roman Abramovich's patience in the current EPL season to the limit attracted attention.

Elsewhere in Europe, Bayern Munich continued their dominance in Germany while Catalan giants Barcelona, driven by the triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, reigned supreme in Spain. In Italy, Juventus lifted their fourth consecutive Series A title.

In India, a pall of gloom enveloped the national team as it continued to sink further into the abyss. A peek into the World Cup qualifying results will give one a fair reflection of the state of the sport, the national team to be specific, in the country that is still hoping, desperately so, to wake up from its slumber.

Three points from six outings in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying is not good advertisement for a country that is readying itself to host the U-17 World Cup in 2017, and possibly the U-20 version and a Club World Cup in the following years.

Stephen Constantine's wards have lost five matches, including one to tiny pacific island Guam. The only saving grace was the 1-0 victory over Guam in the home fixture at Bengaluru.

In his second stint as chief coach, the under-pressure Briton was in the news over the issue of PIO (Players of Indian Origin) being not allowed to represent the national team.

The 53-year-old also had had his share of run-ins, most notably with yesteryear Brazilian superstar Roberto Carlos regarding release of players for the national camp. The Real Madrid legend was the marquee manager-cum-player of ISL franchise Delhi Dynamos for the second edition of the league.